There was a festive atmosphere at the Marine Dynamics / Penguin Random House launch of “Nicole” by author Richard Peirce. “Nicole” tells the story of the iconic great white shark that swam 22000kms from South Africa to Australia and back in less than nine months. The book also highlights the plight of white sharks worldwide especially with regards to shark finning.

Richard is a passionate conservationist and headed up the Shark Conservation Society in the UK for many years running a number of expeditions all of which achieved significant successes in securing real conservation measures. Ably supported by his wonderful wife, Jacqui, who takes many of the images you will find in Richard’s books, Richard travels widely and has seen first-hand the impact man is having on the environment and the species that we share this planet with. This drives the stories he films and writes – true stories with some creative licence to attract our attention and make us think differently. Richard always sponsors non-profits through all his books and passed on a third of the night’s sales to the Dyer Island Conservation Trust for white shark research. The Dyer Island Conservation Trust has been operational since 2006 focusing on research, conservation and education initiatives with a special focus on white sharks and the endangered African penguins. Through book sales, a fun raffle and the auction of various items, R27810.00 was raised towards the charity. The evening was enhanced by wine tasting courtesy of Lomond Wine, while Richard signed copies of his books for all the shark enthusiasts. Richard also introduced his upcoming book ‘Cuddle Me, Kill Me’, a harrowing story of the lion trade. This will be released in 2018.